A conventional mouth guard is a flexible device with a u-shaped channel worn over the teeth during athletic or recreational activities. Mouth guards protect the teeth from chipping or displacement and minimize the risk of soft tissue damage to the cheek, lips and tongue. Mouth guards are commonly used, and often required, in contact sports including football, lacrosse and hockey to protect the teeth of an athlete. The use of mouth guards in other sports including basketball, soccer, boxing and wrestling is also recommended.
Mouth guards also help to avoid displacement of the lower jaw into the upper jaw which could lead to jaw fracture, concussion and neck injuries. In short, a mouth guard should be used whenever contact with hard surfaces or other players is possible.
In preferred practice, a mouth guard should be easy to insert into the mouth and should remain firmly in place during use. A mouth guard should also fit comfortably and not restrict breathing. It is also desirable for the device to be durable and easy to clean. Moreover, the device should be tear-resistant, odorless and tasteless.
Stock or ready-made mouth guards are manufactured in pre-formed shapes in various sizes. Depending on the user, such mouth guards usually do not fit particularly well. As an alternative, mouth guards can be made of a flexible, resilient thermoplastic material in various shapes and sizes which can be adapted by heating and molding to more closely conform to the shape of the user's mouth. Use of the latter type of mouth guard is usually preferred.
In addition, many contact sports require the athlete to wear a helmet or other protective head gear which can include a face mask or face shield. When the athlete is not playing, it is desirable to be able to remove the mouth guard and store the device for easy access. The mouth guards frequently used by football players, for example, include a strap or tether that connects the mouth guard to the face mask of a helmet. But some players find the loosely hanging mouth guard annoying with head movement between plays. It would be beneficial to develop a mouth guard that can be directly, but removably, secured to a face mask, face shield or other support member and eliminate the use of the strap or tether thereby keeping the device accessible and clean when not in use.